Ship&#39;s lifesaving device



N 1936- H. BARLOW ET AL,

SHIPS LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed Sept/l1, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1- INVENTORS;I Harry Barlow and Torger ,Bz'rkland.

AT ORNEY.

Nov. 17, 1936. H. BARLOW ET AL."

SHIPS LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed Sept 11, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 HarryBarZow and fZbrgerBir/cland,

49 INVENTORS.

ORNEY.

Nov. 17, 1936. H. BARLOW ET AL. 2,060,792

SHIB LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed Se t/11,1954

5 Sheets-Sheefi 5 HarryBarZou/ and Torger .Bz'r/rland,

INVENTORS.

AT ORNEY.

Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES SHIPS LIFESAVING DEVICE HarryBarlow and Torger Birkland, Port Blakely, Wash.

Application September 11, 1934, Serial No. 743,620

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a ships life saving device, and in a specificsense, it relates to a life buoy thrower, also to an improved holder foran illuminating device which is attached to the life buoy for markingits position when thrown into the water.

One object of this invention is to provide a very practical andeffective device that will apply stored power for throwing life-rings orlifebuoys off at a distance from the ship, so the person overboard,seeing the buoy or the light of the illuminator, will swim away from theship, towards the buoy, and avoid the danger of being struck by theships propeller, as has happened heretofore.

Another object is to provide improved means to hold the illuminator insuch stable and protected position that it will not be detrimentallyaffected by the rolling of the ship nor by weather conditions, but willoperate unfailingly when put to use.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind withspring-tensioning means by which it can be made to throw the buoy togreater or less distances; and with training or aiming means, undercontrol of an operator, for enabling such operator to cause the buoy tobe thrown to a point near the person overboard.

Other objects and important features are pointed out and implied in thefollowing details of description 'of the invention as exemplified in theseveral forms of the invention shown in the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of the invention in its normal orset position and having an annular life-buoy therein, but theilluminator or illuminating device and its cover being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a part of the device, and of a fragment ofa ship to which it is attached, other parts being in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a view showing most of the parts in vertical section along theline 3-3 of Fig. 1, the remainder being in elevation.

Fig. 3a. is a detail view of releasing gear shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a somewhat different form of springdevice, while eliminating some features shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, alsoshowing a part of the buoy, its, becket, its il-. luminator-attachingline, and its receptacle in broken lines at the left of the parts infull lines.

Fig. 5 is a view at right angles to Fig. 4, partly in vertical sectionalong its axial plane.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing another modified form of springdevice and another form of detaining device or trigger mechanism, andshowing the flexible stopping member suitably adjusted for causing thebuoy to be thrown upward from its container, as the broken linesindicate.

Fig. 7 is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 6, also showingboth the full-lines position and the broken-lines position of the Buoyand the receptacle therefor.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing other modifications of certain partsof the invention, especially the straight-thrust buoy thrower.

' Fig. 9 is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 8, or as viewedfrom the rear, the left end of Fig. 8.

-Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the form shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Referring to these drawings by the reference numerals which refer tosimilar parts in the several views, the invention is described in detailas follows:

In a broad sense, each form of the invention includes or comprises areceptacle for holding a life-buoy therein and free to be throwntherefrom by a quick movement and sudden stop, a spring device normallyunder tension and operable to effect said quick movement, a stop forterminating the quick movement, a support provided with means to secureit to a ship and having the spring device secured thereto, anilluminator provided with means to attach it to a buoy so it will gowith the buoy when the latter is thrown from the carrier or receptacle,a lid for the illuminator secured to the support and normally coveringthe illuminator so as to protect it from weather and from untimelyoperation, and means to hold said illuminator normally stable so it willnot be detrimentally affected by rolling of the ship and will stayengaged with its lid until it is pulled therefrom by a person or by thebuoy when thrown from the receptacle.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the buoy is shown at 5; its becket, at 1; itsholder or receptacle, at 32; its spring device, at 34, 38, 45, 62, thehelical tor- Sion-Spring 38 having one end secured to the shaft or axle34 (at 38b) and its other end secured to the hollow cylinder 62 (at38a), the shaft or axle 34 being journaled in bearings of the member 45which constitutes a part of the upright support to be more fullydescribed hereinafter. The illuminator I2 and its lid I2a are preferablyunited by a snug and substantially weatherproof joint that is not sotight as to prevent unfailing separation by pull of the thrown buoywithout materially affecting the distance of throw of the buoy, the pullbeing effected through the fiexible connection or line l3 which issecured to the becket and to the bottom of the illuminator which may beoperated by acetylene therein which comes into contact with water whenthe buoy is thrown into the water, or may be of any appropriate typewhich becomes automatically operable upon removal of its lid, or uponremoving it from its lid. A part of said upright support is shown at 3|,an upward extension of the part 45, the lid being secured thereto by alink or connection, and the arms 39 of the member 3| embracing the lidand combining therewith and with the bottom-seats a (which projectlaterally or horizontally from the upright part of the supportingelement 3|) to support the illuminator and keep it stable.

The carrier or receptacle 32 is preferably formed of two U-shaped metalstrips, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, viz., a vertical U-strip havingits upper end united with the middle part of a horizontal U-strip so asto form a comparatively light and rigid crate-like hollow receptaclehaving narrowly spaced sides or walls which approximately touch thesides of the bouy held thereby in a vertical position and normallyretain it in such position. The open end of the horizontal U-strip issecured to the upper side of the spring device, specifically, to thehollow cylinder 62. One end of this cylinder is joumaled on a boss ofthe supporting member 45, and its other end is journaled on a hub of aworm-gear wheel 6| that is secured to the shaft 34 by any appropriatemeans. A worm 60 is in operative engagement with the worm-gear wheel fortuming the latter so as to turn the axle 34 relative to the cylinder 62and thereby increase or decrease the tension of the spring 38 while apawl 35 (Figs. 1 and 3) extends through a slot 32a: (Fig. 2) and servesas means to hold the receptacle against pressure of the spring 38 whichcontinually tends to swing the receptacle and buoy about the axis of thespring device.

In addition to the parts of the upright support described in theforegoing, such support also includes a tubular shank or base 63 havingits upper end welded to or otherwise united with the member 45, and thiselement 63 has a bearing collar 65 united therewith and resting on anannular bearing 64 that rests on and extends through the ships deck 14which is apertured to receive the lower end of the shank 63 which has alever or arm 66 secured thereto for manually turning the shank and allthat is supported thereby. A graduated disc 61 is secured to the underside of the deck and serves as a guide to the operator who manipulatesthe device from below the deck 14, turning the shank and its dependentadjuncts, by means of the lever 66, according to the direction the buoyis to be thrown, as indicated on the disc or dial 61. A set-screw 13 isoperable to secure the lever 66 at any desired adjustment with respectto the dial A tubular axle 68 extends through the shank 63 and isrotatable therein by means of arms 68a and 68?) which are secured to itslower end. A lever 69 is pivoted on the arm 68a and is slidingly engagedwith the arm 68b, so it may be used in combination with these arms forturning the tubular shaft 68 on which the worm 60 is secured, so thisturning effects the turning of the members BI and 34 for tensioningspring 38 or for decreasing its tension, according to the direction ofmovement of the handle or lever 69. This handle also has anotherpurpose, viz., lifting a wedge-rod 1| whose lower end may rest on thelever 69, although we have shown a pin or abutment 12 resting on therod-lifting lever 69. The upper end of the rod H is diagonally slabbedas shown in Fig. 3a, and this slabbed side or cam-surface rests againstthe pawl or detent 35 while the latter engages the receptacle 32 forholding it in the set normal position.

The operation is as follows:

On hearing the cry man overboardi, a member of the crew will rush to theships rail and locate the position of the man in the water, whileanother will rush to the life-saving device and be guided by a signalfrom the man at the rail, as to the direction and distance for throwingthe buoy; then, very quickly adjusting the device by means of the levers66 and 69 (while allowing for travel of the ship), the operator thenlifts the handle 69, so the cam-end or wedge-end of the rod H pushes thepawl 35 out of engagement with the carrier or receptacle 32, and thespringdevice now operates to turn the receptacle to its broken lineposition (Fig. 2), where its stop-lug 62a strikes the stop-lug 50; andnow the buoys momentum carries it from the receptacle in a trajectoryand at a distance commensurate with the tension of the spring 38. Theattaching line l3 (under impulse of the flying buoy) pulls the bottom ofthe illuminator off the seats 30a, the springy arms 30 yielding topermit such movement, so the members I2 and 12a first swing out in thedirection of the trajectory, but as such movement of the lid 12a islimited by the link I I, the illuminator l2 leaves the cover or lid andfollows the buoy for illuminating it and guiding the overboard person tothe buoy.

It is obviously within the scope of this invention to extend the shaft68 and rod H upward and to apply manipulating devices thereto so theycan be manipulated either by a person on the deck 14 or by a personunder the deck, so the invention is not limited to the location of themanipulating devices, nor to the exact form herein described.

In Figs. 4 and 5, the members 5, 1, l3, H, l2, I2a, I4, 30 and 3| aresubstantially the same as previously described; but the receptacle 32aand its axle 34a are of somewhat different form, the

former being united with the axle instead of with the hollow cylinder 62of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this modified form, the axle 34a is rotatable ina tubular bearing member or casing 39 by means of a helical torsionalspring 38 which has one end connected to the shaft 34a while its otherend is secured to the hollow cylinder or tube 39, but the latter is heldfixed by means of U-boltclamps 40 on a post 4| of the ships rail and ona bracket 4511. which is secured to parts 42 and 43 of the shipsrailing. One end of the tube 39 is also secured in a bearing on abracket 45b on the ship-rail member 42. A slot 34b is provided in theinner end of the axle 34a and into this slot extends a tongue of thedetent 35a whose purpose and function is the same as that of the pawl ordetent 35 of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, viz., to hold the spring under tension soit cannot operate until released by disengagement of the detent from theunit that comprises the members 32 and 34a. The member 350. islongitudinally movable in the tube 39 which is slotted at 39a to receivea pin 36 which extends therethrough and through the detent 350., so thelatter can not turn. A helical compression spring 31 bears against theto the detent 35a and extends outward through a guiding and protectingtube 4'! which may be suitably curved to reach any point in the ship,for instance, the look-ou tower or bridge, so the wire or line 46 can bepulled from that point for releasing the spring device and permitting itto throw the buoy and the illuminator. In this form, the parts M, 43,44, 38, and 45a, either with or without the members i2 and 45b,constitute the upright support that corresponds to the parts 53. t5, andti of Figuresl, 2 and 3.

The stopping device for this form, may consist of a' flexible cable orline 50a having one end secured to the receptacle while its other end issecured to an adjustably mounted member 5022 that is clamped on therail-member M by means of a bolt and a wing nut. When the wing-nut isloosened, the member 50b can be slid along the rail member for obtainingthe desired adjustment for. obtaining the desired trajectory.

The distinctive features in Figs. 6 and 7 include the receptacle3211-380, the part 38c being an extension of the spring device 3% whichis a flat spiral spring and is united with the axle 3%, the latter beingunited with the support or upright $50. The detent 48 is in the form ofa hook-lever, is pivoted in a bearing-bracket 68b whichis secured on therail-member t2, and is operated by its arm 48a that is attached to apuller or line 36 which extends to the desired manipulating pointthrough a guiding tube ll. The stopping device, in this form of theinvention, consists of a flexible, element 49 including several linkswhich are interchangeably connectible to a pin or stop-member 500'. Thetrajectory may be increased or decreased according tothe link connectedto the member 500.

The distinctive features of Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are explained as follows:Instead of the receptacle 32d being swung in an arc of a circle, aspreviously described, it is moved in a straight horizontal line by meansof its spring device 38d in a tubular casing 39d, and is supportedthereby in combination with a guiding and controlling rod 5001. This rodextends through a tubular extension 32e of the receptacle, thisextension being slidable in the casing 39d by pressure of a helicalcompression spring 38d which bears against the tubular extension andagainst a bearing and closing cap of the casing 39d. A detent-lever 48dnormally engages with a notch in the rod 50d and holds the latterretracted against pressure of the spring 3811. The puller 46 engageswith the detent-lever and passes thence through the guiding tube 47, foroperation at a distance, as previously explained regarding other formsof the invention.

A gate 53 is hinged to the outer end of the receptacle and has an armpivoted at to a link 55 which latter is pivoted to an actuation andholding lever 56, the latter being pivoted to an car on the receptacle3212, so hen the receptacle is moved forward by its spring 3811, theparts 53, 54, 55 and 56 are carried therewith while a is wide-open sothe buoy 5 can pass therefrom without interruption, and will carry theilluminator therewith by means of the connecting line l3. The purpose ofthe gate 53 is to keep the buoy from rolling .out in consequence oftherolling of the ship, so there must be a securing means as well as theautomatic opening means 54, 55, 56 and 57. To provide for automaticclosing and holding of the gate, a cam-track 58 may be provided toengage with the lever 55 as the receptacle is return to its setposition, and to hold the gate closed'until the receptacle is movedforward for shooting out the buoy.

These several forms of the invention are mere- 1y illustrative of a fewof the many forms which may be made within the scope of the inventiveideas herein shown and described; .so we do not limit our patentprotection to these forms in a specific sense; but what we claim as ourinvention is:

1. In a ship's life-saving device, the combination of a receptaclehaving spaced elements constructed and arranged in proper relation toloosely engage. with widely spaced segmental parts of an annularlife-buoy so as to support the latter in freely. removable relation andin upright position, a spring device united with said receptacle, meansnormally holding the spring restrained and releaseable for effecting aquick movement of the receptacle in the proper direction for throwingthe life-buoy edgewise from the ship into the water, and an uprightsupport with means to support the receptacle and the spring device.

2. The combination defined by claim 1, means to limit the forward motionof the receptacle, means to adjust the limiting means so as to vary thetrajectory of the buoy when it is thrown from the. receptacle, and meansto turn said upright support about a vertical axial line and thereby tovary the direction of throwing of the buoy by said receptacle.

3. The combination defined by claim 1, and means independent of thespring restraining means to, increase and decrease the eifective powerin said spring device so as to vary the force and speed of movement ofthe receptacle when throwing the buoy so as to throw the latter variousdistances.

HARRYBARIOW. TORGER BIRIQLAND.

